PUBLIC LIBRARIES COMMISSIONAuthor(s): Eric CooperSource: Fontes Artis Musicae, Vol. 24, No. 1 (1977 Januar-März), pp. 27-28Published by: International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres(IAML)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23506411 .

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IAML Annual Conference in Bergen 27

together each year, packaged and distributed to radio broadcasting organizations of member MIC

countries and perhaps other countries as well. This and other such possibilities will be explored in Mainz.

André Jurres, President of the MIC Commission since he founded it in 1958, most regretfully tendered

his resignation from the MIC Commission by reason of his having left the Donemus Foundation

(the official MIC of Holland). After many expressions of thanks to him for his active guidance through the years, and after the presentation of a Norwegian handcrafted carving set as memento of the Bergen

meetings, he was unanimously elected Honorary President of the MIC Commission.

In the ensuing election of officers, Keith MacMillan (Canada) was elected President, Anna van Steen

bergen (Belgium) Vice-President, and William Elias (Israel) Secretary. Needless to say, the MIC mem bers had thoroughly enjoyed their stay in Bergen and were unanimous in their thanks to Ella Arntsen and her staff in the organizing of the 1976 meetings.

Keith MacMillan, President

PUBLIC LIBRARIES COMMISSION

At the opening plenary session on Monday 16 August the delegates, under the chairmanship of the

President Eric Cooper (Enfield Public Libraries, England), examined the work in progress in the two

main subcommissions of Public Music Collecting and Reference and Community Service. In the former

subcommission the Chairman was able to report that the International Basic List of Literature on

Music had been completed and published. He expressed his thanks to all those who had participated in

its production, and to the NBLC (see below) for its publication. He continued with an outline of future

plans and proposals, in which he emphasised the importance of continuing collaboration with the

Record Libraries Commission over matters of mutual interest. He regretted that it had not been pos sible to develop a project on music services for the blind. It seemed that there was little concerted

national activity in this field. In a fragmentary situation, where a great deal of work was done by

voluntary organisations, it was impossible to gather sufficient relevant information to discover what

useful work could be done internationally. He asked therefore that the Commission broaden their

terms of reference to an investigation of music services for the physically handicapped, as it was

apparent that there was considerable activity in this area of music librarianship in many countries. This

part of the session closed with a reminder that aims should be kept objective and work targets met, that general discussion should not be pursued at the expense of useful work and decisions. Dorothy Freed (Victoria University of Wellington Library, New Zealand) then completed the session with a

paper entitled Music Lending in New Zealand - Availability to the Public, which provoked much

interested comment and questioning (see the version published in this issue, p. 2). On Tuesday 17 August the Subcommission on Public Music Collecting, chaired by Charlotte van

der Pot (Public Music Library, Amsterdam), met to discuss the publication of the International Basic List of Literature on Music. Miss van der Pot surveyed the history of this project from its early begin

nings to its completion, and noted that it had taken much of the subcommission's time since its in

ception in Amsterdam in 1969. She made particular point that nobody should underestimate the

enormity of the task facing the group of contributors who only met once-a year. Without their deter

mination the work would never have been completed, and she wished to thank everyone who had been concerned in its production. The list was published by the Nederlands Bibliotheek en Lectuur

Centrum (NBLC), The Hague, in 1975, and Miss van der Pot hoped that all IAML members would

do all they could to promote its use. The Subcommission then went on to discuss a programme for

keeping the list up to date, and members in Denmark, Canada, the USA and Germany undertook to

do the necessary research. A similar project for an international basic list of musica practica, to be

produced by Karl Nicol (Freiburg Public Library, West Germany), was discussed fully by the sub

commission, and Herr Nicol was asked to develop his ideas on compilation for presentation in Mainz

in 1977. From the chair, Miss van der Pot gave information about various supplements that might be added to the International Basic List. She reported that Elizabeth Hartman (late of the Philadelphia Public Library and now retired to Florida) was working on a supplement of professional literature

and repertoire (i. e. the librarian's tools of the trade). It was expected that this work would be pub lished in due course.

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28 IAML Annual Conference in Bergen

The Subcommission for Reference and Community Services, under the chairmanship of Haiis Vetterlein (Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek, Berlin) met on Thursday 19 August. The meeting concerned itself largely with the bulletin Musikbibliothek Aktuell. The editors of this periodical and of Fontes

surveyed the work of both publications, and agreed that there was no conflict of interest at the

present time, but that their continued usefulness to librarians would depend upon the co-operation of all members in supplying articles, news and events for both journals. A working party under the

guidance of Bent Christiansen (Royal Danish Library School, Copenhagen) had produced a statement

expressing concern on the welfare of public music libraries throughout the world in times of economic crisis. The statement was approved and passed to Council, who have in turn approved it and sent it to the International Music Council, requesting publication and action. A plan for a bibliography of

professional literature on music librarianship submitted by Paula Kuin (Public Music Library, Amster

dam) was accepted, and members in London, Berlin, and Toronto agreed to liaise with Mrs. Kuin to produce material for publication.

A further session of the Public Music Collecting Subcommission discussed the results of an enquiry to the national branches of IAML on standards for music libraries, and Thor Wood outlined the selection and acquisition policy of the New York Public Library. A proposal by Elisabeth Strand

bygaard (Herning Central Library, Denmark) for a systematic index of music publishers' catalogues was examined and discussed in detail. Mrs. Strandbygaard finally decided to modify the scheme to a more manageable select list, which she would circulate to the national branches for reaction. The session closed with a discussion on music for the physically handicapped, which aroused considerable enthusiasm

among the members. A great deal of work on this had been done by the Disabled Living Foundation in

England, and Eric Cooper said that he would disseminate information from the Foundation to members of the Public Libraries Commission who had requested it, and also submit material for publication in Fontes. This was to become a major project for Mainz in 1977. At the closing session a letter had just been received from Cheryl Osborn (Greater Victoria Library, British Columbia) reporting her work to date on published standards for public music libraries, and certain guidelines were proposed to further her work. The President closed his final report by suggesting that the Public Libraries Commission needed to become even more objective in its work, and to reduce the number of current projects in hand by rounding off those nearing completion. Results had already been achieved in the areas of education and training and public gramophone libraries, that did a ereat deal to avoid duolication of effort.

Eric Cooper, President

RESULTS AN ENQUIRY BY THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES COMMISSION

It was agreed at the IAML conference in Montreal (August 1975) that information should be requested concerning published material consisting of basic lists of literature on music and of Musica practica, or dealing with standards and public relations - all for use in public music libraries. Letters were sent to 17 National Branches in December 1975. Some of these sent negative answers, varying from "We have no public music libraries in this country" to very detailed answers which did not apply to public music libraries. The following positive results might be interesting to know of and - what is even more - might evoke more information from those countries that did not yet have a National Branch at that time or had not yet thought of publishing any material of this kind. Please send any further information to the Editor of Fontes.

1) National basic lists of books on music, published in:

Canada: Standards for Music Collections in Medium-sized Public Libraries. Compiled by CAML. Ottawa, Canadian Library Association, 1959 (covers both books and music). J. Melva Dwyer, A selected list of music reference materials. Edmonton Public Library, 1967. CAML. In preparation: Basic classed and catalogued list of Canadian music and books about music, compiled from the Fontes' „Listes Sélectives" by Lynne Jarman. University of Toronto Press.

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